SCHOOL CONNECTION
August 29, 2002
2003 Goal: By 2003, 95 percent of students tested will be at or above grade level as measured by NC End-of-Grade testing at grades 3 and 8.
WAKE 2001-2002 SAT SCORES HIGHEST EVER
SAT scores for last year's Wake seniors were the highest ever
achieved in the Wake County Public School System, and the
Wake average score was far above the state and national average.
"Our high school principals and their teachers worked very hard to help last year's seniors reach new levels on the SAT for Wake," Superintendent Bill McNeal said. "Their efforts put the school system back on track."
The average SAT score for Wake seniors in 2001-2002 was 1067, a 13-point gain from 2000-2001, and a six-point gain from the previous high score of 1061 achieved in 1999-2000. The average national score was 1020 and average North Carolina score was 998.
The SAT is a national exam designed to measure a student's chance of success at the college level. Students receive separate mathematics and verbal scores, as well as a total score.
You can read more at http://www.wcpss.net/news/2002-sat/index.html
BOARD PRAISES SUPERINTENDENT IN ANNUAL EVALUATION
The Board of Education completed its annual review of Superintendent
Bill McNeal during executive session at their meeting Aug.
20 and reported they gave McNeal extremely high marks on his
past year's performance. McNeal is evaluated on 10 goals established
by the board and last year's included student performance
on the state End-of-Grade testing, closing the achievement
gap, securing needed funding, and reducing teacher turnover
rates. In recently released results for the 2001-2002 End-of-Grade
testing, nearly 90 percent of students tested at or above
grade level, all students progressed, and the achievement
gap narrowed. As a result of the high marks McNeal earned,
the board has offered him a one-year contract extension and
has developed a plan to encourage him to stay even after maxing
out of the state pension plan in 2004.
BOARD RECEIVES ENDORSEMENT FOR STUDENT DIVERSITY
The Wake Education Partnership Board of Trustees presented
the Wake County Board of Education a resolution at its Aug.
20 meeting that praised the school system's commitment to
student diversity. The resolution reads:
Whereas, leadership by the Public Schools to maintain balanced racial and economic diversity in all schools has contributed to unprecedented levels of student achievement, stronger neighborhoods, increased land values, and economic prosperity for Wake County;
Whereas, research and experience demonstrate that schools with balanced diversity are better able to attract and retain high quality principals and teachers, resulting in enhanced student achievement;
Where all citizens and communities in Wake County benefit from policies by the Public Schools to ensure balanced enrollment for the future;
Therefore be it resolved that the Wake Education Partnership Board of Trustees hereby urges the Wake County Board of Education to remain committed to balanced enrollment in all public schools. Such policies should minimize, to the extent that it is practical, high concentrations of low-income children in any school. Further, that the entire community, including business, civic, and government leaders, is urged to become knowledgeable about the value of strong, diverse public schools to the region.
BOARD HEARS FACILITY PLANS TO EXPAND YEAR ROUND IN WEST
WAKE
In its first discussion of issues in the Board of Education's
new Committee of the Whole format Aug. 20, the board heard
from Facilities staff that Wake County Planning Department
projections show Wake County will have 131,000 students in
2010 and over 160,000 by 2020.
This fall Olive Chapel Elementary parents will be surveyed about converting the school to the year-round calendar. If parents agree, the school would convert to a year-round calendar in 2003-2004. Facilities staff proposed that Turner Creek Elementary and Salem Middle open as year-round schools in 2004-2005. They said schools built in the next construction program would also be considered for the year-round calendar.
Associate Superintendent Walt Sherlin said placing the new year-round schools in west Wake would reduce the draw on nearby traditional calendar schools while dealing with the rapid growth there.
Sherlin said plans for year-round schools outside west Wake will be addressed later. This fall Hodge Road Elementary parents will also be surveyed about converting their school to the year-round calendar. The board plans to open the new Heritage Middle School on the year-round calendar in 2004-2005.
WCPSS BEGINS THREAT MANAGEMENT TRAINING
Working to improve school safety and help troubled children,
the Wake County Public School System
has begun training school principals and working with community
agencies to establish a Threat Management by Assessment and
Counseling program. "This program will provide us with
a consistent countywide plan to investigate threats,"
Superintendent Bill McNeal said. "Schools that have an
action plan in place can investigate and assess threats more
efficiently and accurately, head off any potential incidents
of violence." You can read more about this training program
at http://www.wcpss.net/news/threat_assess_training/index.html
BOARD SETS CALENDAR AND COMMITTEE STRUCTURE FOR 2002-2003
The Wake County Board of Education has established a calendar
for board and committee meetings
for the coming year and agreed to routinely meet as a "Committee
of the Whole" to study issues.
The board's meeting schedule will remain the same as last year: the first and third Tuesdays of each month with meetings beginning at 4 p.m. The only exception to that is October when meetings are scheduled for the second and fourth Tuesdays.
The board will begin to meet regularly as a Committee of the Whole beginning today. The full nine-member board will discuss issues with school administrators. The idea of the study session is to provide board members information, provide them time to digest it, and provide them time to get answers from staff on any pertinent questions they may have. Issues brought to the Committee of the Whole that require action will be on the board's agenda at the next regularly scheduled meeting two weeks later, and not the same day the committee hears the item. The Committee of the Whole will meet on the first and third Tuesdays of the month, prior to regular board meetings, beginning at 2 p.m. Meetings will be held beginning in August and ending in June.
The community/board committees will continue the innovative use of community experts and concerned citizens working with board members that began last year. The board chair has assigned board members to the Community Relations, Facilities, Finance, Human Resources, Policy, and Program Committees. Board members name community representatives to serve on each of the committees. The board recommends issues to the committees for study and then the committees provide recommendations and findings to the board for consideration. The committees will meet on the second Tuesdays and third Wednesdays. The meetings will begin in September and end in May. The committees will only meet if there are issues to discuss.
BOARD NAMES TWO NEW SCHOOLS
At its Aug. 20 meeting, the Board of Education named two planned
elementary schools that are scheduled to open in 2004 in the
Cary area. The board named the school to be built on a 22-acre
site off Sears Farm Road Highcroft Drive Elementary, and the
school to be built on a 24-acre site off Louis Stephens Drive
Carpenter Elementary.
BOARD AWARDS CONTRACT FOR MIDDLE CREEK HIGH STADIUM
At its Aug. 20 meeting, the Board of Education awarded bids
for the Middle Creek High stadium. The board awarded a single-prime
contract to Hy-Tech Construction Inc., in the amount of $1,677,400.
BOARD APPROVES DESIGNS FOR TWO SCHOOLS
At its Aug. 20 meeting, the Board of Education approved design
documents for North Garner Middle and Carpenter Elementary.
The board approved documents from Skinner, Lamm and Highsmith
for improvements at North Garner Middle, and documents from
Small Kane Architects, PA for construction of the new Carpenter
Elementary.
BOARD NAMES ARCHITECT FOR NEW SCHOOLS
At its Aug. 20 meeting, the Board of Education named architects
for renovation work at an elementary school and middle school.
The board selected Skinner, Lamm and Highsmith, PA for improvements
at North Garner Middle, and Davis Kane Architects, PA for
improvements at Kingswood Elementary.
BOARD APPROVES TRANSPORTATION CONTRACTS FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION
STUDENTS
At its Aug. 20 meeting, the Board of Education approved lift
bus and car contracts with AA&D Transportation, Associated
Transportation, King Richard Transportation, Lucas Transportation
and Transportation Services of North Carolina, Inc., to transport
special education services students. The agreement extends
the current contract and produces cost savings of more than
$4.7 million over the next six years. The agreement realizes
a rate reduction beginning with the 2002-2003 school year
and maintains that rate for three years followed by a one
time five percent rate increase in the fourth year which remains
constant through June 2008. The agreement provides savings
of $355,779 for the 2002-2003 school year and savings through
June 2008 of more than $4.7 million.
VOICES & CHOICES VOLUNTEER TRAININGS SCHEDULED
Beyond 2003: Voices & Choices, the initiative to gain
countywide feedback on the next Wake County Public School
System goal, will begin holding community feedback sessions
next month. If you are interested in volunteering with the
project, please make plans to attend one of our Core Team
volunteer trainings in September. At these sessions, Core
Team leaders will guide you through the process for conducting
Voices & Choices feedback sessions in your communities.
The training session will last approximately one hour. For
more information about Voices & Choices, contact Cyndi
Soter O'Neil at (919) 821-7609 extension 31 or coneil@wakeedpartnership.org
IN THE NEWS
The U.S. Department of Education reports "Expected Record Enrollments Continue at Elementary and Secondary Schools, Colleges and Universities This Fall"
The College Board offers its Parents Guide
The NC Department of Public Instruction reports "North Carolina SAT Score Increases Six Points, Moving Above Southeast Average; Nation Stays the Same"
The Phi Delta Kappan reports "The 34th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll Of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools"
National Association of Elementary School Principals reports on "Remembering September 11"
The Beacon of LEARN NC reports on education
CNN reports on education
The National School Board Association reports the School Board News
CALENDAR
| Sept. 3 | 2 p.m,.Board Committee of the Whole; 4 p.m., Board Meeting |
| Sept. 10 | 11 a.m., Human Resources Committee; 12:30 p.m., Policy Committee; 2 p.m., Community Relations Committee; 3:30 p.m., Finance Committee |
| Sept. 17 | 2 p.m., Board Committee of the Whole; 4 p.m., Board Meeting |
| Sept. 18 | 12 p.m., County Commissioners Lunch, Board Conference Room, 3600 Wake Forest Road; 2 p.m., Facilities Committee; 3:30 p.m., Program Committee |
School Connection is published electronically every other week for everyone interested in the Wake County Public Schools. Is what you read in this edition helpful? What information would you like to see in future editions? Contact me by calling 850-1829 or e-mailing bposton@wcpss.net.
Bill Poston
Wake County Public School System
Communications Department
3600 Wake Forest Road
Raleigh, North Carolina 27611
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